1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to speed indicators and more particularly to speedometers bearing speed warning indicators.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Speedometers are, of course, standard equipment on automobiles, trucks, motorcycles, buses and most bicycles, as well as other vehicles. Conventional speedometers usually indicate the speed of the vehicle by the position of a needle on the dial of the speedometer. In many instances, the dial is lighted for better viewing, particularly at night. However, since the speedometer dial is positioned on the vehicle's instrument panel well below the direct line of sight needed by the driver when steering the vehicle, most drivers usually can spare only an occasional quick glance at the dial when maneuvering the vehicle. Such a glance is ordinarily given while the driver's main attention is elsewhere. Accordingly, although the speed at which the vehicle is traveling is ostensibly periodically monitored by the driver through his occasional glances at the dial, such glances usually leave little impression on the driver. Instead the driver usually depends on the flow of traffic, road feel and other factors to guess the vehicle's speed. Such a practice can easily lead to habitually dangerously high vehicle speeds and increased risk of accidents, speeding citations and financial loss. The described risks are greater when the usual highway or freeway speed limits are suddenly changed as occurred in the latest fuel crisis. In that instance, a national speed limit of 55 miles per hour was instituted. Most states were forced to reduce their maximum speed limits, for example from 65 to 70 miles per hour to the 55 mile per hour limit, and the drivers of the nation's vehicles have had to learn to slow down. Many have not learned as yet and as a consequence the number of speeding citations has greatly increased recently.
Conventional speedometers do not provide speed warning means to aid the driver in such circumstances as described above. A few specialized devices have been employed in conjunction with speedometers to give speed warnings. However, such devices are expensive and invariably require dissembly of the speedometer or the construction of a speedometer of special design and its substitution for the one with which the vehicle is equipped. Few of such devices have ever been used and none have been used extensively and successfully.
Accordingly, it would be highly desirable to provide a simple inexpensive speed warning device for vehicles, which device could be connected to the standard installed vehicle speedometer without any dissembly of the speedometer and without the need of special brackets, fittings or skilled labor. Such device should provide a clear warning against excessive speed, should be easily viewable and should not obstruct the view of the speedometer.